Strong Towns member Michael Smith and colleague Aaron Holverson are working to make Rockford, IL a more economically resilient place.
Read MoreVote now in Round 2 of the Strongest Town Contest! Which city should advance to the semifinals?
Read MoreCast your vote! Who should advance to Round 2 in the sixth annual Strongest Town Contest?!
Read MoreExtend the "open streets" and sidewalk dining revolution to include a fair shake for the smallest of small entrepreneurs.
Read MoreExtend the "open streets" and sidewalk dining revolution to include a fair shake for the smallest of small entrepreneurs.
Read MoreThe suburban development pattern has been putting enormous pressure on small businesses for decades. Now with the pandemic, the razor’s edge of survival somehow got even narrower.
Read MoreAn urban photographer reflects on the reactions he got when he started capturing what the American urban landscape is really like—parking lots, declining neighborhoods, tract homes, and all.
Read MoreIn many cities, supply of commercial spaces far outstripped demand even before the pandemic. Clustering businesses together can be good for consumers, good for business owners, and good for landlords too.
Read MoreThey left a city that is the envy of urbanists everywhere, for a small town seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The cofounder of the Little Free Libraries movement reflects on what makes his rural community strong.
Read MoreMany cities think they need to grow to get strong. But adding thousands of additional acres to the city and millions of dollars in infrastructure is usually the last thing a city needs. It’s like trying to lose weight by consuming more pizza and beer.
Read MoreIt’s a paradox, but cities can set the stage for the unscripted. These playful surprises cater both to young and the young-at-heart, and they endear the community to visitors and residents alike.
Read MoreThe first step toward making your community a stronger place is articulating what’s wrong with the status quo. Strong Towns gives local advocates the vocabulary to do this—just ask member Michael Smith of Rockford, IL.
Read MoreA diverse group of advocates in Rockford, IL are coming together to make theirs a stronger town.
Read MoreIn a wide-ranging conversation, journalist and planner Pete Saunders discusses the fate of Detroit, how baseball stadiums connect with their surrounding neighborhoods, and what African American migration to the suburbs means for the future of America.
Read MoreNo amount of cultured stone or decorative landscaping is going to make this proposed gas station a valuable or contributing part of our walkable, mixed-use neighborhood.
Read MoreUrban planning consultant, Kyle Smith, talks about the findings of a recent report he co-wrote: “Stalled Out: How Empty Parking Spaces Diminish Neighborhood Affordability.”
Read MoreEven in a struggling town, there is huge momentum to make it stronger. Here are three stories that gave me hope during a recent Strong Towns event in Rockford.
Read MoreSoon after this couple moved to Rockford, IL they found there was work to be done to make it a stronger town. They recently shared the impact of the Strong Towns movement on that work.
Read MoreThese places all have many of the physical elements needed for success, quite frankly, because they were built for it originally. What they need most is people; people that care about the place and have the energy to make it better.
Read MorePublic transit is environmentally-friendly, affordable and helpful for economic development. But there's a fourth virtue of public transit: it saves space.
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